An Evanston man was convicted Friday of attempted murder for using a sawed-off shotgun to attack an Evanston police officer last year.
Antoine Bouzi, 19, of 1109 Pitner Ave., faces up to 80 years in prison after the court convicted him on eight counts related to the attempted murder, said Assistant State’s Attorney Michele Gemskie.
On July 29, an officer arrived at the 1800 block of Brown Avenue at 2:55 a.m., finding a large group of people fighting in the street. Bouzi and another person were engaged in an argument that quickly became a fistfight.
The officer shined a flashlight at them, and Bouzi grabbed his waistband and crouched over as if to conceal something. Suspicious, the officer approached Bouzi, who then fled.
The officer ran after him, but Bouzi turned back and fired two shots from a sawed-off shotgun, narrowly missing the officer and hitting a nearby building. The officer took cover. Bouzi dropped the shotgun and fled.
After conducting an investigation, police arrested Bouzi on Aug. 3 in Chicago.
Sentencing is set for March 20 in Skokie. Bouzi faces 20 to 80 years in prison, said Gemskie and Victoria Klegman, who handled the case.
“We are happy that justice was done in this case,” the attorneys said in a prepared statement. “We hope that people think twice before shooting at police officers. They are the heroes who go forward into dangerous situations to protect our community.”
